History

In the XIX century, due to the catastrophic appearance of powdery mildew, downy mildew and phylloxera, the vine growers were forced to undertake mixed crops, among vines and olive groves, so they could survive. But in the XX century, the creation of wine cooperatives gave them a new encouragement and revived the culture of vine and wine. It’s in this context that AcR was founded in 1956 by a group of 14 winegrowers, to whom we wish to express our deep gratitude and pay homage.

Once the potential of the Alentejo wines was confirmed in the 80s, the winery also entered a booming period, noticeable by the increase in production and its structures. Today, the winery is one of the largest wine producers in the Alentejo region, bringing together about two hundred producers, i.e. about 95% of the Redondo sub-region.

The brand Porta da Ravessa is responsible for some of the most impressive figures of which the winery can be proud of, but the truth is that much has been done in order to not only maintain the quality of the products, but also to increase the portfolio. The results are translated in an equal number of consumers and the recognition that has been given by some of the most important national and international critics.

Adega Cooperativa de Redondo has even received the award of “Best Wine Cooperative of the Year” (Cooperativa do Ano) by the magazine Revista de Vinhos. But even more difficult to list, given the high number! – are the awards that have already been given to most of our brands, from Porta da Ravessa to Terra d’Ossa, Anta da Serra, Reserva ACR, and recently, a Grand Gold Medal awarded in the contest “Mundus Vinis” to the 2009 AR Touriga Nacional.

Among the diverse and varied product portfolio, the Porta da Ravessa brand is its ex-libris. The main door of the Redondo Castle, which is called Porta do Postigo do Relógio (loosely translated as the “Clock Wicket Door”), is less famous than the second door, Porta da Ravessa, for the simple reason that it holds the name that was given to this successful wine.

In recent years, the latest investments in several areas led Adega Cooperativa de Redondo to strengthen the already excellent best value for money of its products, so, like Porta da Ravessa (Reserva, Colheita Especial) and also the Rosé, brands such as Anta da Serra, Real Lavrador, Maré Viva, Latitude, Longitude, Terra d’Ossa and the ARs (Reserva, Touriga Nacional and Triplo) are Deuch marks in their respective segments.

The planting of new vine varieties, the increase and improvement in the selection of grapes promoted by our technicals, have allowed not only the launch of new wines that meet the criteria of the most demanding consumers (single variety, special crops, etc.) but also the improvement of the core blends of the winery.

Adega Cooperativa de Redondo produces about fourteen million liters of wine per year, from red (75%) to white (25%), and recently it began producing rosés. Pedro Hipólito explains that “red wines are based on typical Alentejo grape varieties such as Trincadeira, Aragonês, Castelão and Alicante Bouschet (the latter was brought from other countries, but it’s already considered to be from the region) and we have been recommending the plantation of others, including some that are a flagship at a national level, such as Touriga Nacional and Syrah. Regarding the white wines, in recent years there is a fluctuation in demand with a current tendency to increase. Roupeiro is our major white grape variety, Fernão Pires is present here in a very specific and positive way, but we have many grape varieties that enhance and complement our white wines, such as Arinto, Antão Vaz and Verdelho, among others. Therefore we also have a great ability to innovate”.

Currently, exports represent about 15% of our global sales. Our main markets are France, Brazil, UK, China, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Angola, Mozambique, and the United States. In fact, we are the leading Portuguese wine exporters in some of these countries.

With over 60 years of existence, Adega Cooperativa de Redondo is a rare case of success in the national viticultural landscape, with a global production of 14 million to 19 million bottles/year, all with the quality seal of the oenologist Pedro Hipólito, who for the past 15 years has been in charge of the oenology of the wine cooperative, and a processing capacity of raw materials of over 15 million kilos of grapes.